From: Anders Sandberg (nv91-asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Thu May 08 1997 - 10:54:32 MDT
On Thu, 8 May 1997, Carl Feynman wrote:
> Anders Sandberg wrote:
> >In general, the idea of nootropics only
> >having positive cognitive effects and no side-effects is *very* unlikely,
>
> In fact it is forbidden by Algernon's Law: All simple major enhancements of
> human intelligence are net evolutionary disadvantages.
I think you misapply it somewhat; a nootropic need not correspond to any
reasonable mutation that could occur in nature. In practice you are
right, the state of our neurochemistry is likely a compromise between
several opposing factors which is optimal in general, but not in the
specific and unnatural situations we might want to employ nootropics in.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension!
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